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Goldschmidt's four RBIs help D-backs clip Mariners

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By Steve Gilbert
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MLB.com |

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The D-backs gave former teammate Joe Saunders a rude welcome on his return to Salt River Fields as they roughed him up for eight runs en route to a 8-4 victory over the Mariners on Sunday in front of a record crowd of 12,864 at Salt River Fields.

Arizona starter Wade Miley, who had been scratched from his last start due to a tired arm, did not fare much better as he allowed four runs on seven hits before departing with one out in the fourth. Miley did record three of the 14 strikeouts logged by D-backs pitchers, who retired 16 of the last 17 batters faced in the game. Endy Chavez doubled with two outs in the ninth to snap a string of 15 Mariners retired in a row.

"I thought I threw the ball well," Miley said. "Made a couple of bad pitches and I paid for it. Overall, I felt like I threw the ball pretty well today. Just a couple of mistakes."

Franklin Gutierrez started the game off with a home run to left, his fourth homer of the spring, to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

The D-backs tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, when Aaron Hill's sacrifice fly scored Gerardo Parra.

The Mariners once again used the home run ball in the third to grab a 4-1 lead courtesy of a three-run shot by Kendrys Morales.

Saunders, though, was unable to hold that advantage as the D-backs managed to score five runs in the bottom half to go on top, 6-4.

Hill had an RBI single during the inning while Paul Goldschmidt had a two-run single and Cliff Pennington added a run-scoring double.

Goldschmidt added to his RBI total in the fifth with a two-run homer off Saunders.

Up next for the D-backs: Following Monday's off-day, the D-backs will be back in action on Tuesday night on MLB.TV as they host the Angels at Salt River Fields at 7:10 p.m. MST. Ian Kennedy will start for the D-backs. It will be the right-hander's final tuneup before he starts next Monday's regular-season opener against the Cardinals at Chase Field.

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveGilbertMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.